The Unsinkable Karen Walker
by casuallyfanfiction
Summary: This is my version of The Unsinkable Mommy Adler from when Karen takes the pregnancy test. My first Will & Grace fic so please R&R! Chapter 14 up.
1. Chapter 1

Ok, the dialogue at the beginning is the dialogue from the actual episode "The Unsinkable Mommy Adler". But once Jack hugs Karen and leaves, it's mine from then on. This is my alternate version of what happened to Karen in that episode and goes on from there. This isn't a Jack/Karen btw, just to clear that up. The relationships here are exactly those on the show.

Chapter 1 

Ding

"Oh!"

"Oh, that's 15 minutes"

Karen Walker and Jack McFarland walked up to the big desk, centred in the middle of the empty office. Karen in particular had a look of hesitation and fear about her. It was very rare that she'd show any signs of emotion. Grace used to joke about her not feeling anything but Karen felt, oh yes, she felt all right. It was only when you grew close to Karen that you realised just how much she did feel. Jack saw this sometimes but not enough to realise how heavy this situation was playing on her mind and heart. Karen's high voice spoke, wavering slightly.

"Yeah. So, uh, if the stick is blue... we're pregnant."

They both bent down to pick up their test. Jack had done one too of course; he'd do anything to help Karen. The situation would have been almost comical to an audience, but not to Karen. Finally Jack spoke.

"Well, nothing doing on mine. Karen?"

She took one look and stuffed the test in the bin with Jack's and the boxes.

"Oh, nothing here either." She said a little too quickly. "Well, thank god for that. Oh..."

Jack sensed uneasiness about her, but he knew not to interfere with Karen. Little did he know, Karen was begging for him to interfere.

"You ok?" he settled on saying, not to pushy, not too cold.

Karen quickly threw back on her ice-queen façade; the mask that was on the verge of slipping off was pulled back up.

"Ok? Oh, honey, I'm relieved. I can't have a kid right now. We just re-carpeted!" She joked. Jack bared a smile.

"Well, you know, I knew there'd be nothing on mine. I mean, I'm not insane. It's just... Still, I'm a little... Sad." Karen couldn't help feeling sorry for Jack. What would cheer him up?

"Oh, honey. Well, here. Take my platinum. Charge yourself a little happy."

That usually worked. Giving Jack her platinum was like telling a kid they could live in a toyshop.

"No, thanks. I think I'm just gonna hit the gym and work out some of these feelings...in my delts." Karen smiled and turned back to her desk, trying to forget what had and would happen. Jack started to leave but turned around back into the room.

"Uh, don't hate me for doing this, but…" before Karen knew it, Jack had wrapped her in a hug. This little act of comfort was nearly too much for her as she sat on her chair. "I love you." Jack said before letting go an exiting.

She sat there, still for a moment, his words echoing in her ears. Stan would say anything to her to get her into bed but those three words meant more to her then than anything Stan could ever say to her. She loved Stan, of course she did, but what she had with Jack was special. He was her 'poodle'. Karen slowly rose from the upholstered seat and picked up the bin once more. She pulled out the two tests she had dropped in moments before and compared them to each other. A forbidden tear made it's way down Karen's cheek as she suddenly threw the two tests against the wall and let out a cry that was a mixture of frustration, sadness and anger. They hit the wall and bounced back into the middle of Grace's desk, lying on top of some designs. Karen straightened her blouse, wiped her face and took a couple of breaths to regain her composure. She took up her fur coat and handbag and walked out of the door, not looking back.

A few minutes later, back from her disastrous lunch with her mother and Will, Grace walked into the office.

"Karen?" She called, scanning the room. When Karen's high voice could not be heard and her curvaceous figure could not be seen, Grace sighed. Typical, she's gone already! Probably out buying a new island or something she thought. She walked over to her desk, determined to finish Mr Gruber's bathroom design before Wednesday. Scanned her desk for the sheets she needed and gasped as she saw herself staring at the two sticks. One was white. But one was blue.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Karen arrived back at her penthouse after a few hours of retail therapy. But spending Stan's money on clothes she'd only wear once wasn't as thrilling as it usually would be. During a spell down 5th Avenue, she passed a baby store and couldn't help but stop and look through the window. Her eyes passed over all the families and she stepped back with fear. The pregnant mums with their comfy, unstylish gear and their hair tied back in rough ponytails caused her to catch her breath. Could she be like them? She didn't think so.

Now she was sat in her bedroom, her fingers playing delicately over the phone book she held in her lap. Opening it, Karen quickly flicked through to the page she required. Nobody knows, she thought to herself, and they'll never need to. I've done it before; I'll do it again. Karen glanced at the number for the clinic and dialled.

"Hello, this is…erm...Anastasia Beaverhausen." She smiled slightly at using her alias but the smile faded as the woman asked what she wanted. "I…I need to book an abortion, As soon as possible."

* * *

Grace was sat in her apartment thinking over what had happened that day. First, her mother. But that was to be expected, what would be happening with the world if something didn't happen when her mother came to town? Then there was Will. How DARE he compare her to her mother? He knows how she feels about her! Or does he? Maybe Will doesn't know her at all? Finally, the pregnancy test she found in the office. The only person who'd been in all day was Karen, and she suspected Jack was there too. Did that mean Karen was pregnant? If she were, why would she leave the evidence for all to see? Or did she want Grace to find it? Maybe she didn't know how to tell her any other way. Did anyone else know? Grace walked to the kitchen and got a bottle of Evian out of the fridge, her head was starting to hurt with all the thoughts she was processing. Acting on impulse, she almost ran to the door, deciding she needed to talk to Karen.

"Gracie?"

As she opened the door, the face of her mother greeted her on the other side.

"Mom."

"What are you doing? You look upset?"

She sighed, she didn't need this now. She had to talk to Karen.

"Mom, look, it doesn't matter. I need to be somewhere, I'll see you later, ok?"

"But honey, I haven't told you about my commercial! Just think, your mother in a commercial! I bumped into these kids downtown and…" but Grace had gone.

* * *

Karen sat in her limo fingering her purse nervously.

"Driver? Stop here."

"Yes, Miss Walker."

She got out and looked up at the building before her. A moment of doubt flickered in her mind but she pushed it away and walked up the stairs to the door.

* * *

"Rosario? Where's Karen?" The maid looked shocked as Grace flung herself into the penthouse.

"She had to go to the doctors."

"What? Why would she…?" Grace stopped as she realised what Karen was planning to do. "Oh my god, we need to find her!"

"What? What's going on?" Rosario was confused, not understanding what her boss was about to do, andwhy Grace needed to stop her.

"Just tell me which clinic she went to," Grace said, grabbing Rosario by the shoulders. "before it's too late!"

Karen pushed the door open and walked into the clean, white waiting room. She'd given her name at the desk and the nurse told her that it'd only be a few minutes so she should sit in the waiting room. She looked around. Scared looking teenagers sat alone trying to read the various, scattered magazines. Then there were a few women in their early twenties, some with husbands. High-powered businesswomen, Karen thought. They'd got no time for a baby yet. Then there was her. What category did she fit into? High-powered businesswoman? Well, she worked for Grace but it wasn't really what you'd call a 'highflying' job. So she sat alone, like the forlorn teenagers, just waiting for her life to return back to normal.

* * *

As the cab drove towards the clinic, Grace couldn't help but think about how surreal the whole situation was. If someone had told her yesterday that she would be rushing to stop Karen having an abortion, she would have said they were mad! The cab came to a stop and Grace threw money at the driver whilst leaping out. I hope I'm still in time, she thought. But as she came to the top of the stairs, Karen came walking out.

"Karen!"

She stopped dead and looked in shock at Grace standing before her.

"Grace? What the…? How did you find me?"

"Rosario." She said simply. "I found the test. Please tell me you didn't!" she pleaded with the woman standing before her. Karen hesitated before she answered.

* * *

Ha ha! Cliffhanger! Though you all probably know what the outcome will be! R&R my dears please! 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I nicked the remark Will makes about Jack from the show, but everything else is mine!

**Chapter 3**

"Please tell me you didn't."

Karen hesitated before answering. "I…I didn't." she said sadly.

"Oh, thank god!" Grace sighed.

Karen continued, "I sat there and they called my name but I just kept thinking about this little life that's growing inside of me and I…couldn't. Does that sound crazy?"

Grace smiled, "No! Of course not! I was so worried you were going to go through with it. I thought, what if I'm too late? I know it's your business so it's got nothing to do with me and I know that you probably don't want to talk about it but…"

"Honey?" Karen asked.

"Yeah?"

"Shh." And as she spoke she placed a finger on Grace's lips. "You're babbling."

"Sorry! But Karen, seriously, if you need to talk about it, I'm here! I mean, I know we argue and stuff but I am your friend and you can talk to me about anything."

Karen smiled at her. A real smile. "Thanks, honey."

And before she knew it, Grace had enveloped her in a hug.

"Hey hey hey! I said we could be friends, not lovers!"

Grace laughed as she let her go. "So…" she said, returning to serious mode. "What are you going to do?"

"Well, right now, honey, I'm going to go home and crucify Rosario!" Grace couldn't help but laugh. "But…yeah, I don't know. I guess I'll have to tell Stan. Please, Grace don't tell the others yet. I need to…I…"

She nodded, understanding that Karen needed time to sort her feelings out before she dealt with Jack and Will.

Karen started to walk down the steps towards her waiting car but stopped half way down.

"Grace?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, Karen."

And with that, Karen descended the remaining stairs, entered her limo and drove off. Grace was left standing on the steps, alone.

* * *

"You're home!" Will called as she entered the apartment, rushing from the kitchen to the door where she stood. "Where were you? I came back here soon after lunch but you're mom said you'd taken off somewhere! Grace, I'm really sorry."

She smiled. "I know. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have reacted like that."

"Friends?" he said, arms open for a hug.

"Of course!" she said, kissing his cheek and hugging him.

"Oh, get a room!"

They broke apart. "And how are you, Jack?" Will said, a look of amusement on his face as the other man entered the apartment, heading straight for the kitchen as he always did.

"Gorgeous but that's not the point. Gracie, have you talked to Karen today?"

"Erm…why?" she said, unsure of whether Karen had told him yet or not.

"Well, I just spoke to her on the phone and she sounded kinda funny."

"I told her to stop eating little kids!" Will said jokingly.

"Will!" Grace yelled, hitting him on the arm.

"What?"

"Just…don't, ok?"

"Ooookaaay!" Will looked puzzled, when did Grace care about Karen? But he decided to leave Grace to her bizarreness.

"Erm…I haven't, no. Sorry Jack."

"Ok then. Well, you're boring so I'll catch you two ladies later!" Jack left the apartment thinking nothing more about Karen, but Grace was still worrying.

"Ahh Jack. Cute as a button, but not quite as smart." Will remarked.

"Uh-huh." Grace said, but not really paying attention to him.

"Grace? What's up? You're not still mad at me are you?" Will sounded concerned.

"What? No, I'm fine. I think I'm just going to go to bed. I'm tired."

"Ok, if you're sure you're fine…"

"Yes! I'm fine!" Grace walked into her bedroom and shut the door. She tried to sleep but she couldn't, she just lay in bed thinking about how different everything was going to be.

Across town, Karen was laid in her bed thinking the same thing.

Would she be able to cope?

How would she tell Stan?

How would Jack react, she'd already told him the test was negative?

Would anything ever be the same again?


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry about the delay! Here's Chapter 4, hope it's still ok!

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* * *

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**Chapter 4**

The next morning, Karen awoke to find an empty bed. Stan had left early then, she thought. As the sun flooded into the room through a gap in the curtains, Karen lay back into her pillow, marvelling in the serenity she had at that moment. If only she could stay like that all day. But Karen knew she couldn't, she knew what she had to do today. Her eyes darted over to her drinks cabinet. That had to go for a start! How was she supposed to give up drink with all these temptations around her? After a few moments of quiet contemplation, Karen threw back the bedspread and reached for her robe from the edge of the bed. The white, silky material gave her silent comfort and let her mind drift from the thoughts she had concerning the day ahead. To ease her mind, Karen drifted over to the nearby stereo and picked up the first CD she found. As the CD loaded, Karen lay back on her bed, waiting for something to help her.

_Now, you work all week just to make that money, yeah  
A-waitin' for the weekend to finally come, yeah, heah  
So, now that the weekend is finally here  
There's nothing but music in the atmosphere  
So, come on everybody, let's live it up, yeah_

_The music sounds good and the beat is so groovy, yeah  
It really sounds good 'cause it…_

She pressed the forward button for the next track. Somehow, today she didn't feel like dancing and 'living it up'.

_I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
She will be loved_

_Tap on my window knock on my door  
I want to make you feel beautiful  
I know I tend to get so insecure  
It doesn't matter anymore_

What was this CD? She couldn't think of a compilation around that offered Dusty Springfield and Maroon 5! But then it hit her and she smiled as she remembered. It was the CD Grace had made her one day, telling her to listen to it. Intrigued more than anything, Karen listened on skipping to the next track.

_I'm every woman, it's all in me  
Anything you want done, baby  
I'll do it naturally  
I'm every woman, it's all in me  
I can read your thoughts right now  
Every one from A to Z_

This choice of Grace's made her laugh out loud. She could just imagine her dancing to this in her apartment, using a hairbrush as a microphone and having the player on full volume. This mental image cheered Karen up considerably and left the song on as she dressed and prepared herself for the long day ahead.

When she finally made it into work at 10.00, Karen sat down at her desk expecting the usual comment from Grace about her punctuality. However, today, when she sat down, she heard nothing. Instead, she could feel Grace's eyes watching her every move.

"What?"

"Erm…nothing." Grace looked back down at her work and pretended to be busy with something.

Karen went back to looking through her bag but stopped and looked up when she felt Grace's eyes on her again.

"Grace?"

"Yeah?" she muttered as innocently as she could, acting as if she wasn't doing anything unusual.

Karen looked at her a second but then shook her head, not daring to press Grace andy further. She could see the concern in her friend's eyes and it pained her that she knew Grace was too afraid to talk to her. This ice queen façade she spent so long building up was now frozen solid. Grace was too afraid to even ask if she was ok. Maybe she though that everything had to return back to normal, the moments they shared on the stairs of the clinic was in the past and had to be forgotten. Little did Grace know, Karen needed more moments like that. She was aching for the moments that showed her that she was loved. Sure Jack was her 'poodle', but she knew the basis for that relationship was Karen's ever-flowing back account. Just once she wanted a real friend, someone who didn't want her for her money, body or both. Yesterday she thought she had found it in Grace, now she thought…she didn't know what she thought. Maybe she got it wrong, maybe Grace didn't want to be her friend, maybe she just felt obliged to help her employee. Yes, that must be it.

Karen went back to doing her nails, adjusting her hair, doing the things she usually did whilst at work, while Grace silently wept for her at the other side of the room. Not openly of course, but inside. Grace knew, or thought she knew, that Karen didn't want a friend. Yesterday was just a one off; she would surely want to forget the whole thing. Perhaps, when her due date grew nearer, she would ask Grace for help now and again, but never friendship. Karen just wasn't like that. Was she?


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry about the huuuuuuuuuge delay! Jeysus, I'm slack! Here's chapter 5! It's really short but I'm just about to post chapter 6 in a couple of hours so you won't have long to wait!

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**Chapter 5**

The time had come. She knew what she had to do; just how exactly she was going to do it was the problem.

"Karen?"

She winced. He was home. "Up here, Stan"

"What's going on?" He asked as he entered the darkened room, feeling uneasy by the silence that greeted him.

Karen opened her mouth, but words failed her. She just couldn't phrase it the way she wanted and needed to.

Stan looked at her, trying to understand what was going on. Karen was acting so strangely.

"Kare, tell me. What's happened?"

He sat down on the bed tentatively, not sure just what Karen needed from him. What she did need was a hug, someone to tell her it would be ok, someone to reassure her that she wouldn't fail as a mother, that all the fears running round in her head were rubbish and she wouldn't be a failure. Unfortunately, as seemed to be the way lately, Karen's silent prayers were not answered and Stan just sat looking awkward, waiting for her to talk.

She sighed, deciding to get it over with.

"Stan. I'm pregnant."

As soon as the words were said, she rose and strode over to her drinks cabinet, reaching for her bottle of vodka.

"You're…hang on…you're pregnant?"

"Yes. We're going to have a baby." Karen showed no emotion through her words, she didn't want to seem to excited or too disappointed incase Stan didn't feel the same. The bottle of vodka was still in her grasp but she stopped before pouring, remembering she couldn't drink the liquid she so desperately needed to help her escape.

There was a long silence.

"Say something, damn it." She tried to hold back her tears. The silence had told her more than she wanted to know. It would have been better if he had shouted, cried, rejoiced, at least then she would have known how to react. Anything would have been better than this deadly silence.

"Karen…I don't know…I don't know what to say."

Another pause.

"Are you keeping it?"

Her head spun round sharply. "What? Of course I am!" She dared not tell him of her moment of reservation. "Please, Stan. Talk to me."

"This isn't…I can't…" He rose from the bed and mumbled something as he went out of the door.

Karen flung the bottle against the wall and collapsed onto her bed in tears. All the emotion she had been carrying for the past few days was suddenly released. Stan's last words to her kept ringing in her head. "I can't do this."

Neither could she.

* * *

Ach, it's so short! I don't think it's very good. It was really hard to judge Stan's reaction cos we see, and know, so little of him in the show. I tried my best! Review please! I love reading your comments, they're so encouraging:-) 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Stan spent the next hour being driven around by Driver. The prospect of a baby was just too much for him to handle. He'd done kids, that was all in the past. He never expected to be doing it all over again with Karen. She had never struck him as the motherly type. Babies to Karen meant her miniature bottles of liquor, or so he had assumed, until now. When did she suddenly start wanting kids? She never really bonded with Olivia and Mason, preferring to throw money at them rather than spend time with them. She'd seemed so defensive when he brought up the idea of abortion, maybe she really did want it. He decided to return back to the penthouse, they needed to talk.

* * *

"Hello?" 

There was silence.

"Hellooo?"

"Grace?" She barely heard the small whisper from the other end of the line.

"Yes, this is Grace Adler. Who's calling?" she said, feeling slightly puzzled.

"Grace…it's Karen…"

"Oh, hey Karen. Are you ok? You sound a bit…" She didn't even finish her sentence before Karen interrupted her in the same low voice.

"He doesn't want it, Grace. He just left…he left…"

"You mean Stan?"

"Yeah…I told him, I just came right out and said it but…but…he just…"

As Karen's voice began to break, Grace had heard all she needed to hear. "Ok, stay right there. I'm coming over."

She put down the phone and grabbed her jacket.

"Grace? Where are you going?"

'Oh, shit' she thought as Will came out of his bedroom. Why couldn't she leave the house without people questioning her anymore?

"Erm…I'm going to Karen's."

"You…are going to Karen's penthouse?"

"Yeah." She replied as casually as she could. "See you later." She tried to leave but Will stopped her.

"Grace! Wait a minute! What's going on with you lately? You're being so…cagey and secretive. I mean, one minute you're complaining that Karen never does any work, the next you're going round for a girl sleepover! What's the deal?"

She sighed, how was she going to get round this?

"Look, it's just…I…me and Karen…we're friends, ok? Now, I need to go. Please, Will, I'll talk to you later."

She left Will standing puzzled in their apartment, hating herself for keeping things from him. Oh, how she wanted to tell him what was really going on. But she understood why Karen couldn't tell him, not yet.

* * *

Karen's Apartment

Grace knocked on the door; worried about the state Karen would be in. She hoped, no, she prayed that Karen wouldn't have done anything stupid. Despite her consistent complaining, she knew Karen loved Stan and therefore she knew how much his dismissal of their baby would hurt her.

"She's upstairs."

"Thanks, Rosario."

Grace quietly walked upstairs and towards Karen's bedroom, where she suspected she'd be.

"Karen?"

"In here, Grace."

Karen was sat at her dressing table, staring at her reflection in the lit up mirror before her. Grace was unsure of what to do; Karen seemed to be in a trance of some sort.

"Erm…so, how are you feeling?"

Karen nodded her hair and faked a smile. "I'm good. Good." Then she stopped. "As good as someone can be whose husband's just told her he doesn't want their child."

"Oh, Karen." She didn't know what else to say. She couldn't say it would all be ok because quite frankly, she didn't know if it would. Slowly, she lowered herself onto the long stool Karen was sat on and placed her hand upon Karen's, which was resting on the table. "He won't abandon you. He loves you."

Karen scoffed. "Hmm. Yeah."

"No, he does. I just think this whole baby thing was a shock for him. You weren't planning it or anything."

Karen rose from her seat. "Grace, I know my husband. That wasn't just surprise. That was disappointment, frustration, anger…" her voice started to raise, "…He doesn't WANT it!" She sat down on the bed. "He doesn't want our baby." Her voice now barely a whisper, a huge contrast from her previous shouting.

Grace, once more, couldn't think of anything to say. She was beginning to question her presence in Karen's company. She didn't seem to be helping her at all. Suddenly, without really thinking about what she was doing, she walked over to where Karen sat and wrapped her in a hug. To her surprise, Karen responded positively and she seemed to find direct comfort in Grace's small act of support. They stayed there for a few minutes until a knock at Karen's door caused them to break apart.

"Karen?"

She gasped, Stan was back.

"Do you want me to go?" Grace asked her.

"No, honey. You can stay." She walked to the door but paused before she opened it. "Please stay." Grace smiled and nodded her head, preparing herself for what she knew would be a heated confrontation between Karen and Stan.

Karen opened her bedroom door and allowed Stan to enter the room.

"What do you want?" She asked him, walking back into the room so she could face him.

He looked nervous. Grace's presence was a definite intimidation for him and she could see his head begin to sweat.

"We need to talk."

* * *

I hope it's still ok! Remember to review:-) 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"We need to talk."

Karen scoffed at her husband. "You bet your sorry ass we do." Her strong and powerful front was now resumed. The scared and vulnerable Karen had gone and had now been replace with a woman who now knew what she wanted and wasn't prepared to take any shit from anyone who tried to stop her.

Stan tried again, "Can we talk in private?"

At these words he glanced at Grace who, until this point, had not said a word. However, she didn't move. She knew that Karen wanted her there and was determined to support her. She had now realised that Karen did need a friend, and she found herself willing to be it.

"No." she said simply. "Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of Grace."

He sighed. "Ok. Look, Karen, it's not that I'm totally against the idea of us having kids. I wanted them with you at some stage, just not…"

"Now?" she asked him. "Well, what's wrong with now? I mean, what's holding us back? When would be the perfect time?"

"I don't know, I don't know." He sighed again. Clearly, he didn't know what he wanted, Grace thought. He needed to make up his mind soon though. "I didn't think you wanted kids. You never spend time with Olivia and Mason. What makes you think you'll care anymore about your own kid?"

Grace gasped; she couldn't believe what she had just heard. She glanced over at Karen who was shaking with rage.

"How dare you!" Karen shouted, her eyes brimming with tears that she wouldn't let fall. "How DARE you! Just because I don't spend time with your 2 spoilt brats, you think I wouldn't care for my own? How am I supposed to care for those 2? They aren't mine! I've no connection with them."

"Have you tried?"

"What? Of course I've tried!"

"Oh, really?"

Grace was astonished by the scene before her. What had started off as a simple talk, had suddenly turned into a screaming session with each participant getting louder as they went along.

Stan continued, "When was the last time you spent time with them?"

"Me? When was the last time YOU spent time with them?" she laughed harshly. "And they're YOUR kids!"

This blew the wind out of Stan. He stopped and paused, realising she was right. It took him a few minutes before he continued.

"I mean, come on, Karen. How are you going to stay off the drink for 9 months? I haven't seen you without a drink for 9 days before! The baby's as good as dead."

He'd gone too far.

"You bastard." she replied in a low voice. The tears she had fought so hard to contain were now freely flowing down her cheeks. This made Stan hesitate; he had never seen his wife cry before. It unnerved him; he knew she must be truly upset to allow him to see her cry.

"Karen…I…I'm sorry…"

"Just get out."

"No, wait…"

"I said GET OUT!" She yelled across the room. Grace got up and put an arm around her friend. "I think you'd better leave, Stan."

He sighed and started to leave.

"I'm keeping the baby, Stan." Karen said as he opened the door. "And if you can't accept that, then don't come back."

He didn't reply but continued to leave, slamming the door behind him.

"Well." Karen said, wiping her eyes and face. "That's that then. Looks like it's going to be just me and the baby."

"No, no, it won't be, Karen. You've got me. I'll be crazy Auntie Grace! And then there's Jack and Will. Although I can't imagine Jack changing nappies, they'll both be brilliant with the baby. They can be Uncle Jack and Uncle Will. Just think how lucky this baby will be with all the people that love him or her. You're going to be fine, Karen. Just fine."

She looked up at Grace with shiny eyes and smiled.

"Thank you, Grace."

* * *

I know it's dragging a bit slowly but it'll speed up soon! Unless, of course,this pace is good in which case I'll make it like this! Review please:-)


	8. Chapter 8

I don't know if you'll like this chapter. But don't worry, things will soon be back to normal! I just thought we needed a bit more drama before it all resolved itself!

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**Chapter 8**

Grace gave Karen the next few days off work, to help her get her head together and also to give her chance to break the news to Will and Jack. Karen knew she would have to be careful how she did it, especially with Jack. She didn't know how he would react; she'd already told him she wasn't pregnant. Would he be angry that she lied? Would be react like Stan? Karen kept remembering what Jack had said to her "I love you." Maybe he'd be ok with it…maybe…

* * *

"Hey, Grace!"

Jack bounded into the quiet office where Grace was working on some designs. "Where's Kare? I want to go shopping. I need a new look, I'm thinking 'Jude meets Liza."

Grace laughed as Jack envisioned his shopping trip. "She's not here."

"What? Well where is she?" Jack looked confused; Karen didn't usually go shopping without him.

"She's at home; she wasn't feeling too good this morning." Well, Grace thought, that wasn't a total lie. Karen phoned her earlier telling her she had morning sickness.

"Hmm, ok. See ya." He started to leave but Grace stopped him.

"Wait a minute; aren't you going round to see her?"

He stopped at the door. "What? Why?"

Grace paused. "Well, she's ill and you're her friend…"

Jack thought about this for a minute. "Well, I was going to get some food from your place but…I guess I could go see her. Poor Kare, she hates being ill."

Grace smiled. "Hmm. Yeah." She felt pleased with herself, now Karen had the opportunity to tell Jack about the baby.

* * *

Karen was pacing her bedroom. She had just had a phone call from Grace, telling her that Jack was coming round to see her. Now she had to think about what to tell him. She had thought up an entire speech but it was pointless, it would be forgotten when he arrived, she knew it.

"Mrs Karen?"

That was Rosario. That meant Jack was here. Act natural, she told herself; he'll know something's wrong if you act nervous. "Up here, Rosie."

The soft patter of Jack's trainers against the stairs grew louder and eventually her door was thrown open and he entered the room, grinning as usual.

"Hey Kare! Gracie said you're not feeling too good!"

She smiled faintly at him, "Yeah, I've just been a little sicky. I'm ok now."

"Oh, I wonder what it was. I hope it wasn't those mushrooms we ate yesterday…" Jack started to ponder the meals of the previous day while Karen saw an opportunity to tell him. This is your chance, she thought. "No, Jacky, it wasn't them. It's something else."

"Oh, so you've been to the doctors?"

She hesitated. "Well…I went last week…"

Jack looked very puzzled. "Ok, little confused here! Rewind! I thought you were ill today."

Karen could see this was going nowhere; she was just going to have to tell him.

"Ok, Jack. I need to tell you something. Sit down." They both settled themselves on Karen's bed and she grabbed his hand.

"Ok, you're scaring me here, Karen! What's happening?"

She took a deep breath and began. "You know last week, when I took that pregnancy test with you, and I told you I wasn't pregnant? Well, I lied. I was…I mean, I am. I'm pregnant, Jack. I'm having a baby."

It took Jack a few minutes to register what she had said. "So…you're pregnant."

She nodded, "Yes."

"Then…you lied to me. Why would you do that?" Jack looked hurt. His wounded look was like a knife in Karen's heart. She didn't want to hurt him, that was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Jack, sweetie, it wasn't intentional. I was just upset, I was confused. I didn't know what to do so I thought that if I just pretended it wasn't happening, it would go away. It wasn't to hurt you, honey. I was trying to protect you. I knew how excited you would be if I was pregnant that I didn't want you to be upset if I…" She couldn't finish the sentence. Looking back, she couldn't believe she was going to abort her child. Her hands instinctively went to her stomach.

Jack finished off her sentence in his head. "You were going to get rid of it?"

Karen shook her head. This wasn't going as planned. She completely understood Jack's point of view and that's what made it so difficult for her. She knew she should have told him, she didn't know why she lied in the first place. But the damage was done now, and she had to deal with the pain Jack was going through now because of her.

"I thought about it but…I couldn't do it. Grace found me after…"

"Woah, hold on! Grace knew before me?"

"She found the test, Jack, I didn't tell her."

"That's not the point, Karen. The point is you lie to me about it but then as soon as Grace has a slight inkling that you could be pregnant, you tell her everything!"

"Jack…"

"No, Karen. You didn't tell me. I thought I was your friend."

"You are, Jack! You're my poodle."

But Jack had heard enough, and he left the room.

"Jack!" She called him but it was no use. He'd gone, leaving Karen sat on her bed.

Alone.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"I'll talk to him; don't worry about it, Karen."

Grace hung up the phone. She felt awful, unable to stop the feeing growing inside of her that all this was her fault. She knew that ultimately it wasn't her problem; Karen did what she though was best. But there was still the opinion, nagging her at the back of her head, that if she hadn't have gone into the office that day, Karen wouldn't be in this mess with Jack. If only she hadn't found the test. Karen had already made up her mind about the abortion, she wasn't going to go through with it, and so Grace had no use being there. She would have then probably told Jack first, then her and Will. Then Jack wouldn't be feeling so hurt that he didn't find out till after her. Oh, if only things had gone differently.

But, she decided, it was too late to think about If Only's. What she needed to do now was act. Karen told her she was going round to tell Will before Jack did. If she didn't get there first, she'd have not one but two friends angry with her. She really didn't need that right now.

Grace waited a few minutes before deciding what to do. She half expected Jack to come bursting into the office shouting at her, but he didn't. In fact, she didn't hear anything from him. No angry phone call or even an irate text. Nothing.

After 10 minutes had passed, Grace knew she needed to do something so she grabbed her bag and coat and headed out of the door.

* * *

Karen took a deep breath as she stood outside Will and Grace's apartment. She knew he was home as Grace had told her when they were on the phone, but there was a small part of her praying that he would be out and then she wouldn't have to tell him. But if Karen had learnt anything this past week, it was that you can run from your problems. She'd tried that at the beginning of all this, and look where she had ended up. One of her closest friends had been hurt and walked out on her, at a time when she needed all the friends she could get. Well, she thought, I'd better get this over with. 

Her hand shook as she knocked on the door. Come on, she muttered to herself, answer the door. Finally, she heard a shout from the other side and Will opened the door.

"Karen?" He looked shocked to see her. "What are you doing here?"

She hesitated; the doorstep wasn't really the best place for her to tell him her reason. "Can I come in?" Her voice was timid, its childlike characteristic now sounding almost eerie as she spoke.

"Sure." He stepped aside and she walked into the apartment. "I was just going to have something to eat, do you want something?"

"No, thanks, honey. I'm fine."

"Drink? I'm afraid we haven't got any gin, but there's a bottle of vodka you can…"

"No, I don't want a drink. But thanks, Will."

He stopped. "You don't want a drink? Karen, are you feeling ok?"

"I'm fine. It's just I…can't."

"You…can't?" He looked even more puzzled than before. "What's going on? Don't tell me you've joined the AA because I might just faint."

She smiled, "No, honey. It's nothing like that. Come, sit down. I need to talk to you."

* * *

Just as Karen was knocking on Will's door, Grace was knocking on Jack's. Both women were feeling the same nerves and anxiety. Grace was worried about what Jack's reaction to her would be. Would he be mad? Would he be furious? Technically, she hadn't done anything wrong, but she knew that in Jack's eyes she had done a lot. Karen had chosen her over him to tell her secret to and despite the fact that it was accidental and a case of being in the right place at the right time, that hurt Jack. More than he would probably admit. 

At first nobody answered the door. Maybe he's out, she thought. But just as she was about to give up hope and come back later, the door opened and Jack showed his face.

"I thought it was you." He said. "I actually considered the thought that it was Karen for a minute but then I thought, why would she come round here? She's obviously with her new best friend!"

"Jack…please. Don't be like this."

"Like what exactly, Grace? I'm sorry, am I not allowed to care for my friend anymore? Am I not allowed to feel slightly hurt when she doesn't trust me enough to tell me she's…" he couldn't say it. "to tell me she's…pregnant?"

"Of course you are. But please, don't take it out on Karen. She needs you. You don't understand how hard this is for her. You know what Karen's like, she keeps herself to herself. Nobody's allowed to see the real her, it's like she has to keep up this front with us. She was scared and she felt alone."

"Alone? I was there! She could have told me straight away, but no. She didn't. She lied to me."

Grace suddenly became aware of the fact that they were still stood on Jack's doorstep.

"Look, we can discuss this here. Can I come in? Please?"

Jack thought about this for a while, but then realising that it wasn't very decorous, he stepped aside and let her inside.

* * *

"Karen, what's wrong?" 

She led him over to the sofa and they sat down. Just as she had done with Jack, Karen grabbed Will's hand. It gave her the feeling of security she needed at times like these.

"Ok. I'll start from the beginning. A few weeks ago it was Stan's birthday and I forgot his present so I thought to myself, what does Stan like most that I don't have to buy and he doesn't get very often…"

"Ok, ok, I get that bit." Will said quickly, trying to get the mental image he just received out of his head.

"Anyway, basically, I thought I was pregnant and last week I took a test and it turns out I am."

Will looked shocked. "Oh my god, Karen! That's huge! Congratulations!" He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a hug. She smiled, relieved at his reaction. Grace was right; Will would be great with the baby. Will released her, still smiling. "What does Stan think about all this?"

She hesitated; this was where it was going to get difficult. "He…Stan didn't want it. So…he left."

Wills smile disappeared. "Oh, Karen. I'm so sorry."

"No, don't worry about it, honey. I'm fine. I'm better off without him if that's the way he thinks."

He smiled at her, "Yeah, you are. Wow, I can't believe this! So, do Jack and Grace know?"

"Well, Grace found my test so she's known almost as soon as I did but I decided not to tell you and Jack at that point cos I needed to get my head together really. I mean, it was such a shock, I wasn't really thinking straight."

Will nodded, which gave Karen great relief. "Yeah, I understand. So does Jack know now? I bet he's thrilled!"

"I…I told Jack earlier today, just before I came to see you. But he didn't take it too well."

"What? I don't understand."

"Well, the thing is, he was there when I found out but I told him the test was negative. I just wasn't ready to deal with it all and I knew how excited he would be about it all. So, I told him today that I was actually pregnant but he got angry because I lied and now I don't know what's going on. Grace has gone to find him and talk to him but I don't know if it'll do any good…I don't know anything any more…"

Will was shocked to see tears running down Karen's face. He'd never seen her cry before.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "It's the hormones. I seem to be crying all the time now."

Will wrapped her in a hug once more but this time he held on and comforted her. "Hey, hey, don't worry about it. Grace will sort it out. I'm sure Jack's just feeling a little mixed up about it. He's probably thrilled that you're pregnant, he'll just be feeling mad that you didn't tell him straight away." He gently stroked her back, not knowing what else to do.

* * *

"Do you want a drink?" Jack asked, reluctantly. 

"Erm…sure." Grace said, feeling very uncomfortable. Jack was being so hostile; it was going to take a lot of effort to win him round. "I'll just have water, please."

Jack got 2 bottles out of his fridge and placed them on the small table in the centre of the room. There was a few minutes silence as the two drank their water but finally Grace spoke.

"Come on, Jack. Say something."

"You're the one who wanted to come round here." He said, looking at her straight in the eyes. "I've got nothing to say."

"Please, Jack. You can't be like this. Karen needs you right now. I know you, Jack. You don't want it like this…you can't want it like this."

He rose from his seat, taking his empty bottle with him, and made his way into the kitchen.

"Of course I don't want it like this. Do you think I enjoy not speaking to my best friend?"

"No, of course you don't…"

"Exactly, but when push comes to shove, Grace, she didn't tell me, and that fact isn't just going to go away, no matter how much you try or we want it to. So, if you've got nothing more to say, I think you'd better leave."

Grace started to get up, completely disappointed with herself, but then she stopped. Karen needed Jack and she wasn't going to leave until this was sorted.

"No, I'm not going anywhere until we sort this."

Jack tried to speak but Grace ignored him. "You are both too important to me for me to let this lie, and now there's a baby involved. Jack, do you know how sorry Karen is? Up until now, she's only had me as a shoulder to cry on. She's been longing to tell you but she knew that you'd react like this. If you think you're hurting, try being in Karen's shoes for a couple of hours. That's pain."

Jack looked astonished as Grace kept on going.

"You're into acting, Jack, try this situation out for size. After years of hating your husband's kids, you find out you're pregnant. You have a split second to decide whether to tell your best friend or not. If you tell him the truth, you can't go back. This baby is coming. If you lie to him, you give yourself a little time to decide what's best for you and the baby. So you decide to lie. After a brief moment of uncertainty, you decide to keep the baby. Now the time has come to tell your husband, he'll be happy, right? Wrong. He doesn't want it, so he walks out on you. Feeling so alone, you decide to tell your best friend the truth. Now, he'll understand, surely. Wrong again. He's feeling bitter that you didn't tell him the truth to begin with so he walks out on you too."

She paused for breath, watching Jack closely. "There you are, Jack." She started walking closer to him. "You're alone. All the people you thought you could rely on have abandoned you. All that you have left is that crazy lady who you work for, who only found out you were pregnant by being in the right place at the right time. Suddenly, she's the only one who seems to care so naturally you confide in her, you tell her everything, because, to be honest, Jack, who else have you got?"

She'd finished. Jack couldn't speak. "So think about that, Jack. Just think about what Karen's going through before you start taking all this out on her. If you still can't find it in your heart to forgive her, then you're not the man, and friend, we all thought you were."

She grabbed her coat and bag and walked to the door. "See you around, Jack." And she left, leaving Jack standing in the middle of the room.

Alone.

* * *

Oooh, that was a long chapter! I didn't think I'd go on for that long! OK, one more thing, I was a bit unsure of where Jack was living during this time period so I tried not to mention a specific place. Let's just say he lives in an apartment somewhere! 


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Grace came home, after her confrontation with Jack, to find Karen asleep on Will on the sofa.

"Is this the right house?" She jokingly whispered as she entered, trying her best not to wake Karen.

Will smiled. "Hey, Grace."

"She told you?"

He nodded. "She told me everything. I can't believe Jack." He lovingly stroked Karen's head. Something inside him had changed since he found out about the baby. Suddenly Karen seemed human to him. He saw that she was, in the end, just a lonely human being who needed her friends, like essentially, they all were.

"I know." Grace responded, perching on the edge of the coffee table. "But I've been to talk to him. Hopefully I got through to him, but I don't know. It's up to him now. He's got to decide which he values more. His friends or his pride."

Will nodded in agreement. Just at that moment, Karen woke up from her sleep. At first she looked confused, not understanding where she was, but quickly she remember and upon seeing Grace proceeded in quizzing her about Jack.

"Did you talk to him? What did he say? Has he forgiven me?"

Grace hesitated. She didn't know what to say. "I talked to him and I told him everything. I told him all about Stan and stuff so at least now he knows what you're going through."

"Yeah, so, what did he say?"

"Well…he didn't really respond because I left at that point. I thought I'd give him some time to think about it. It's a lot for him to deal with, Karen. Up until now the most important thought he's ever had to deal with is 'Should I get highlights?', I think he just needs some time alone for a while. He'll come round when he's ready."

Karen nodded her head. Of course she was upset that Jack hadn't forgiven her, but she knew that what Grace said was right. He needed his own space for while.

"Thanks Grace, for trying."

She smiled back, "It's fine. Now, are you both hungry? I picked up Chinese on the way home, I'm starving!"

Will laughed, "When are you not, Grace?"

"Well…" she began but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Will got up and opened the door.

"Jack?"

Both Grace and Karen gasped.

"Can I come in? I need to talk to Karen."

Will nodded. "Sure. Come on Grace, we'll go out and grab something to eat."

"Oh…ok, sure. I hear there's a new guy working in Starbucks. Supposed to be very cute…" She shut the door behind them and Jack and Karen were left alone together.

"So…" Karen began.

"So…" Jack repeated. They both smiled at each other. "I'm sorry, Kare."

"No, I'm sorry, Jackie. I should have told you from the beginning. I just needed to…"

"I know. You don't need to explain. But I'm really sorry, I was so insensitive, I just thought about myself. I thought you'd replaced me with Grace." He looked down at his shoes.

"Oh, honey! You're one of a kind; I've only got one poodle!"

"Really? So…friends?"

"Of course!"

They hugged each other, finally feeling that everything was alright again. Karen, for the first time since she found out she was pregnant, was looking forward to what was going to come these next few months. She was nervous but excited about the growing life inside of her.

* * *

Meanwhile, In Starbucks….

"So, what do you think is going to happen?" Grace asked, whilst gorging on a huge piece of chocolate cake.

"Grace…who ever told you that what you are currently doing is attractive, please shoot them."

"Wha?" she paused, not quite being able to talk properly due to the excessive amount of cake she had just eaten.

"Put the chocolate cake down…slowly…"

She swallowed. "Very funny, Will! Seriously, do you think Jack's forgiven Karen?"

Will turned serious. "Well, I don't think he would have come round to the apartment if he was just going to ignore her but who knows what goes through his mind sometimes so…I don't know."

Grace nodded but got distracted as her eyes followed something round the room. "I do know one thing though"

"What's that?" Will asked.

"That is one cute waiter!"

"Where?" Will's eyes shot up.

* * *

A few hours later…

"I can't believe he was gay!" Grace complained as her and Will re-entered their apartment, causing Karen and Jack to look up.

"Sorry, but that's the way the cookie crumbles! Or should I say, my cookie crumbles!"

Jack heard this and flew over to the door. "What's this? Our young Will has a date?"

Will grinned coyly, "I may have…"

"Wonders will never cease!" Jack said with a smile. "So tell me, who, what, where, why and most important of all, HOW?"

"Jack! Ok, his name is Greg and he works in the Starbucks on 74th, and we started talking because Gracie here was checking out his ass…" he gave her a disapproving, but loveable look and continued, "…and she managed to fall actually off her chair, so he came over to help her up off the floor and that's it…we're going out tomorrow. But enough about me, how are you two?"

Jack looked over at Karen with a smile. "We're good."

"Really?" Grace asked.

"Yeah, he's still my poodle." Karen said.

"Oh, that's so great!" Grace ran over to where she was sitting and threw her arms around her.

"Erm…Grace…we talked about this…I know you're in love with me but this…" she indicated to them both, "…isn't going to happen."

They all laughed. Grace sighed with happiness; she couldn't believe everything had worked out. Sure there were going to be hard times in the next couple of months, but she knew that they would get through them together.

* * *

Yey, it's all happy again...but for how long? He he! I know, and you don't! R&R! 


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Karen hated doctors. All those medical people telling you things like "You need to drink less" or "Only take pills you actually need to take." I mean, blah blah blah blah blah! Jeez! But, today she had to be civil to those…do-gooders. Today she had to have her first scan. Grace had booked her in, telling her it was for her and the baby's own good. Bless her; she really cared about her well being. Karen was gradually beginning to trust Grace more and more. She really saw her as a friend and although it would take a while to break old habits of closing up, she really felt like she could talk to Grace about anything. The same was becoming of Will. There was a time when Will would have laughed at her if she had asked him for help but now he was there for her. She hoped he would be there for her today, Grace couldn't make it to the scan (some design emergency or something) so Karen was hoping Will would take her place and come with her. She didn't want to go on her own, she needed someone to hold her hand. Not that she'd admit she was scared, but she was. She was terrified. Terrified that something would be wrong, that all this hassle would have happened for nothing. She desperately needed a friendly face to reassure her.

She knocked on Will and Grace's apartment door, hoping he would be in.

"It's open!" a voice called from inside.

She pushed the door open and stepped in. "Oh, hey, Karen. Grace isn't here at the moment…some design thing…"

"Oh, I know about that. It's you I needed to talk to, honey."

He looked surprised, but pleased. "Me? What do you need me for?"

"Well, I'm supposed to have my first scan today and I've got a problem getting there…" She couldn't tell the complete truth, she wasn't at that stage yet. "…So, can you take me?"

Will smiled. He knew exactly why Karen wanted him to take her; Grace couldn't go and she needed someone to go with her, to be by her side, where Stan should be. He understood Karen a lot more than she thought he did. He would act oblivious to her plan, of course. He didn't want to embarrass her. "Sure. What time's your appointment?"

She glanced at her Rolex, "Half an hour."

"Right, we'd better get going then." He picked up his jacket and keys and they headed out of the door. Karen felt satisfied with herself, she thought she'd fooled Will and now she'd have someone with her. Will felt satisfied too. He was actually pleased she'd asked him. He didn't mind being second place to Grace, he knew the two of them were good friends and he didn't want to get in the way of that. The only thing that worried him was the fact that Karen hadn't asked Jack. Were things really ok between them? Maybe things were still iffy after last week's episodes. He didn't know, but he wanted to find out. Maybe he could ask Karen while she was at the doctors.

* * *

"Karen Walker?"

Both Karen and Will looked up at the nurse's voice.

"That's me then." Karen said as she stood up, her high voice wavering slightly. Will noticed this and stood up too. "I'll come in with you." He said, placing a hand on her arm.

"Oh, you don't have to, honey. I'm fine by myself." She replied, secretly hoping he insisted on coming in.

"No, no, I want to. I've always wanted to see what goes on here anyway, see if it's anything like ER."

The nurse smiled, "Well, don't expect George Clooney."

Karen laughed, pleased that Will was making this so easy for her. He had a way of making uncomfortable situations not so and she was so thankful for that, especially now.

They both followed the nurse into the small room.

"She was right." Will murmured into Karen's ear, referring to what the nurse had said. "I think he's more George Burns than George Clooney!"

Karen stifled a giggle, trying not to burst out laughing in front of the doctor who was waiting for her.

"Hello, Mrs Walker. I'm Dr. Goldberg. Now then, I believe you're here for your first scan, is that right?"

She nodded, suddenly feeling serious again, despite the doctor's light-hearted attitude.

"Good, if you'd like to pop up onto the bed for me, we can begin."

She pushed herself up onto the bed, as he instructed and lay back breathing deeply.

"Your husband can sit on the chair if he wants."

Will and Karen both looked up. Will smiled, "Oh, no. I'm not her husband."

"Oh." The doctor said. "You are the father though, right?"

Will shook his head. "Nope, wrong again."

Karen spoke up. "He's a close friend and I want him here so he can stay."

Dr. Goldberg looked a little shocked but realising Karen was not to be messed with, he nodded his head, giving Will the signal to sit down.

"Right, if you'd like to lift up your shirt, I'll just put this gel on your stomach. It'll feel cold so don't panic when I put it on."

Karen quickly unbuttoned her shirt at the bottom, wishing he would hurry up so this would be over with.

After he had applied the gel to Karen's milky-white skin, Dr. Goldberg took out his probe and started to move it across Karen's stomach. Will and Karen both strained to look at the screen, not really seeing anything except black and white mess. But then Dr. Goldberg stopped moving the probe and held it in place.

"There you go, Mrs Walker. There's your baby."

Instinctively, Karen grabbed Will's hand, amazed by the sight before her. That small mass on the screen before her was her baby. Her baby. She was speechless. Will too could not speak. He was completely taken away by it and squeezed Karen's hand to show her that he was there for her, just as amazed as she was.

"Would you like a copy?" Dr. Goldberg asked, his eyes twinkling as he looked at the two spellbound people before him. No matter how many times he saw this scene before him, it always brought a smile to his face.

Karen nodded, still transfixed by the image on the screen.

"Well, Mrs Walker, everything seems fine." Dr. Goldberg said, wiping Karen's stomach and allowing her to re-button her shirt. "You're about 12 weeks pregnant and…"

Karen's head shot up and she stopped fixing her shirt. "What did you say?"

The doctor looked confused, as did Will. "I said you're about 12 weeks pregnant and…"

"Oh god."

"What?" Will asked. "What is it?" He looked concerned and held her hands with his as Karen turned white.

"It can't be…I mean…oh god…"

"Karen, talk to me, what's going on?"

Dr. Goldberg looked concerned too. "Mrs Walker? What's happened?"

She looked at them both, not daring to tell them what was wrong. What would they think of her?

* * *

So, what do you think it is? It's pretty obvious really but I just thought I'd leave you hanging for a while! I'm evil like that! Mwah ha ha ha! R&R! 


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry to leave you hanging last night but I couldn't write anymore as it was 1am and I had an English exam this morning! But now I'm all done with English Lit (and all exams) for 2 weeks so I've got more time now! Yey!

**Chapter 12**

"Ok, Karen, you're really scaring me now? What the hell's happened?"

"Will, I…I can't…I did something, Will and now…" She couldn't finish, her mouth wouldn't physically move anymore.

Will knew this was something really bad, something she wouldn't just reveal in front of the doctor, he knew how Karen felt about them.

"Dr. Goldberg, can you excuse us for a moment please? I need to talk to Karen alone."

He still looked worried but nodded at Will and walked out. Will turned back to Karen and grabbed both her hands. "Come on, Karen. Please tell me. No matter what it is, I'll help you, I promise."

"The baby…it's not Stan's."

Whatever Will had been expecting, it wasn't that. "It's…what?"

She nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "Not Stan's."

"But how? I mean, you said that…"

"I know what I said but I….I miscalculated."

"You had affair then?" Will just couldn't get his head around this. He thought Karen loved Stan, that's why she was so upset when he walked out on her. Why would she have an affair? This just didn't add up. "Whose is it?"

Karen hesitated. "It's just some guy."

"Just some guy? This is the father of your child! Do you even know his name?"

"It was…Mark, I think."

"You think?...Jesus, Karen. What…I mean, how did this happen?"

"It was…well, 10 weeks ago. Stan and I had a fight and I was feeling down so I went to a bar and one thing lead to another and well…look." She pointed to her stomach.

"God." He didn't know what else to say. There was nothing to say. "Let's go home, Kare." She nodded; feeling like her old world had just collapsed around her. Just when she thought all the trauma had disappeared, the one mistake she wanted to forget about had come back and smacked her in the face. She looked at Will as they walked out of the room. He wouldn't look at her anymore. She'd fucked up. Again. How could she fix it this time? Why was her life so difficult? For once, couldn't everything just be normal and good?

"Mrs Walker?"

Oh, they'd forgotten about Dr. Goldberg. Karen looked up from the floor. "Yes?"

"Here's your scan print-out." She took it from his hand and placed it in her bag and started to walk off. "Is everything…sorted out now?" He had a look of worry and concern on his face.

"Yes, thank you. It was just a small mistake, nothing major. It doesn't matter."

"Oh good. See you later then. You'll need to come in for another scan at about 20 weeks so if you like you can book it now or over the phone later on."

Just wanting to be out of there as quickly as possible, she told him she'd do it later and they both left.

* * *

The car ride home was silent. Will was thinking about what Karen had said in the hospital, particularly what she had said to the doctor_. "Just a small mistake…nothing major…it doesn't matter…"_ Was that really how she saw it, "_nothing major"_? Was she really prepared to just forget about the paternity of her child? He suspected Stan would take some action soon, be it divorce or just an official separation. Was she really going to keep lying to him about it being his child?

Karen was thinking about the same thing. What was she going to tell the others? Maybe they didn't have to know. Would Will keep quiet? Oh, why did she have to make a fuss? She could have just said nothing and forgotten about it! But no, she had to be melodramatic, didn't she! Just when things were back to normal, this came along.

"Will?"

"Mm?" He murmered to show he was listening.

"Are you…I mean, will you…"

"I'm not going to tell anyone, don't worry, Karen." He turned and gave her a small smile. "I may not understand why you did what you did but I'm trying so you can have as much time as you like."

"Thanks, honey." She whispered, returning the smile. Good, more time. That was all she ever had nowadays. Time. And it was the one thing she needed. She didn't know having a baby would be this complicated. How do women do this all the time?

Finally, Will pulled up at Karen's apartment and she got out, pausing before she shut the door.

"Thanks, Will, for everything."

He smiled at her, pleased that she was finally starting to trust him, finally opening up to him.

"Anytime."

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I just wanna say thanks to Jen for helping me with this chapter. Seriously, if I'd have had may way there was going to be a whole rape storyline! But don't worry, she talked me out of it! I think this is better anyway, I wouldn't really want to do that to my beloved Karen! R&R, as usual!


	13. Chapter 13

Ah, we've arrived at chapter 13! Unlucky for some, will it be for Karen? Read on to find out…

**Chapter 13**

Karen shut the door to her bedroom and locked it. She didn't want company tonight. She leaned back against the door, closing her eyes and sighing. There was just so much to take in. Her hand went to her stomach as she tried to comprehend everything that had happened in the past couple of hours. She gently caressed her, for the moment, flat stomach, wishing she could just make it all go away. The silence was unnerving; she needed noise, a distraction. Her eyes flitted over to the stereo; Grace's CD was still in there. She moved over to the silver machine and pressed play, skipping straight to the unheard track 4.

_I cannot leave here, I cannot stay,  
Forever haunted, more than afraid.  
Asphyxiate on words I would say,  
I'm drawn to a blackened sky, as I turn blue._

_There are no flowers, no not this time,  
There'll be no angels gracing the lines,  
Just these stark words, I find.  
I'd show a smile, but I'm to weak,  
I'd share with you, could I only speak,  
Just how much this, hurts me._

Karen was still as she absorbed the words sung by the male singer. 'Could the words fit any more perfectly?' she thought. _"I'd share with you, could I only speak, just how much this hurts me." _She needed to tell Grace, about the baby, but she…couldn't. She couldn't stand to see that face again, the one Will gave her. That look of distaste and shock. She didn't know if she could take it again. It was all becoming too much.

_I cannot stay here, I cannot leave  
Just like all I loved, I'm make-believe  
Imagined heart, I disappear  
Seems...no one will appear here and make me real_

_There are no flowers, no, not this time  
There will be no angels gracing the lines  
Just these stark words I find  
I'd show a smile, but I'm to weak  
I'd share with you could I only speak  
Just how much this hurts me_

Karen could once more feels those familiar tears winding their way slowly down her willowy cheek. Hormones, that's what made her so emotional these days…or at least that's what she told everybody. Truth was, she was hurting. Her life had suddenly become a rollercoaster, and she wanted off. Everytime she thought it had calmed down, another drop came, plunging her down, deep into the darkness. She thought her friends were her harness, but that was coming loose and now she was terrified it was going to disappear altogether. There seemed to be no way to stop it. Every time things went right, another ghost from her past would appear and destroy the relationships she needed to build.

Karen picked up the CD case and opened it, hoping to find a playlist inside. Instead, she found a small note from Grace. Puzzled that she had not noticed it before, she sat down on her bed to read what her friend had written to her.

_Hey Karen!_

_Hope you're enjoying the CD! It took me ages to make, computers really don't like me! I hope it works, next time I'm definitely going to ask Will for help. I think he's better at this sort of thing than me!_

_I'm writing this at work, you've just gone out to buy an coat or a country or something, as usual. It's always really quiet when you've gone out or haven't come in, almost eerie. As much as I complain, I do like having you around and I do miss you when you're not here. I know we joke around and say things that could be…well…kinder, but I just want you to know that I'm here for you, ok? You're probably laughing at me now, thinking of the terrible outfit I must be wearing whilst I'm writing this, but I'm being serious, Karen. As much as we'd both hate to admit it, you're a friend and I care about you. Maybe it's just me, but you've seemed a bit down these last few days. I hope this CD will cheer you up a bit, Track 11 will especially! Just think of me and my hairbrush!_

_Well, if you've read this far and not thrown the letter in the bin, I'll be surprised! Oh, there's a noise outside. That'll be Jack coming to look for you. He's always at a loose end when you're not around to be his audience._

_I'll see you tomorrow - if you come in!_

_Grace_

_xxx_

Karen was taken back. Grace's words had lit something inside of her. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you." The words kept repeating themselves in her head. "I'm here for you…I'm here for you." No words had ever meant so much to Karen than those at that time. She quickly turned to Track 11, curious at the song Grace was so determined would cheer Karen up. From the first bass notes, Karen laughed. She knew what it was.

When she really concentrated, Grace had a tendency to hum to herself. One day, she was humming the introduction to this song so Karen, upon recognising it, joined in with the words. Grace proceeded to dance and Karen abruptly stopped singing but ever since then, it'd been known as their work song.

_Tumble out of bed and I stumble to the kitchen  
__Pour myself a cup of ambition  
__And yawn and stretch and try to come to life.  
__Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumping  
__Out on the street the traffic starts jumping  
__With folks like me on the job from nine to five._

Karen smiled, remembering what Grace had said to her. "I'm surprised you know this song Karen. You definitely don't work nine to five!" Looking back through the letter, she knew that Grace was right, they did joke around most of the time. She would say something about Grace's hair or clothes and Grace would respond with a comment about Karen's punctuality or work. But in reality, she knew that they were only joking and she did care for Grace, much deeper than she'd ever truly thought she would or indeed could. Now that she knew Grace thought the same, a confidence was alive inside of her and as the rest of the Dolly Parton song played out, Karen picked up the phone and dialled Grace's number.

"Hi, Grace? It's Karen. I've got something to tell you. Can you come over?"

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Remember to R&R!


	14. Chapter 14

I'm sorry for the unforgivable delay! I have been sooooo busy and then I almost gave up on this altogether cos I couldn't make this work! Anyways, I'm back so here ya go…chapter 14…

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**Chapter 14**

Grace put down the phone and collected her things, ready to go visit Karen. She was intrigued more than anything at Karen's request for her to go over to her apartment. She thought that it couldn't be anything bad as she heard Dolly Parton playing in the background. 'Well, she finally played my CD!' she thought 'I hope she read the note. Oh, maybe that's what this is about!'

"What are you looking so happy about?"

The sudden voice made Grace jump. "Will! God, I didn't know you were there!"

He smiled but turned serious almost immediately. "Grace…I need to talk to you."

"Can it wait? I've got to go somewhere."

He looked at her, wondering if he was doing the right thing. "No…it can't. Please, I need to tell you something."

"What, has Greg dumped you already?" She laughed but seeing no response, Grace realised this was serious. "What is it? What's happened?"

He sat her down. At first he tried to manoeuvre her over to Karen's chair but he couldn't tell her while she was sat…there so he settled her on a chair she was upholstering for a client. "Will?"

He took a deep breath. "Ok, I don't know if I should be telling you this or not. I mean, it's not my place."

"Just tell me, please."

He sighed. "It's about Karen…and the baby."

Grace closed her eyes. Every time anybody mentioned Karen and the baby in that tone of voice, it was never a sentence she wanted to hear. There was always something wrong or something more for her to worry about. What was it this time?

"Look." She interrupted him. "Are they both ok?"

Will was taken back by her question. "Well, yeah...but…"

"Then I don't want to know."

"What?"

She sighed and got up from the chair, moving Will out of the way as she did so. "Every time I hear 'It's Karen and the baby…' or 'There's something you should know about the baby…' it's always something I wish I didn't know or something else that's going to cause me endless headaches worrying over. As long as they are both healthy, that's all I need to know. Everything else can wait. I just…I just want things to go back to normal, y'know? Like they were before."

"Oh, sweetie." Will wrapped Grace in a hug knowing exactly how she felt. Although it was true that this whole situation had brought them all closer to Karen than before, it was still a situation they all didn't need. And although a baby would change their lives for the better, sometimes they secretly wished it would all just go away.

"So…" Grace began, as they broke apart. "…can it wait?"

Will nodded. "It can wait."

* * *

Jack smiled to himself as he flipped through the catalogue. 'That would look so cute on little Enrique!' he thought. Of course Jack had already sexed and named the baby, he couldn't wait for Enrique Justin Walker to arrive! Thinking of his previous behaviour, he was ashamed. He'd behaved like a child and couldn't believe he almost ruined his relationship with Karen. With everyone.

* * *

"Hey!" she greeted Karen as she opened the door. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, honey, Come in."

It's true what they say, Grace thought. Pregnant women do glow. As she watched Karen, she could see a difference in her. She seemed to extrude happiness and although she could sense a small tension in the air, she felt relieved that Karen was finally on the up. They entered the lounge and Karen sat down on the sofa next to Grace. "Ok, I've something to tell you..."

Grace rolled her eyes a little. "The baby?" she asked with a slight frustration in her tone.

Karen looked stunned. "What?…I mean, yes but…how did you know?"

"Will." She said simply.

"You mean he told you?"

Grace shook her head, "No, he wanted to but I wouldn't let him. I just…I don't know Karen. I've said this to Will; this whole thing is just too much. I mean, ok, yes, it's you having the baby and it's so hard for you, I know that." She grabbed Karen's small, perfectly manicured hands. "But…it's hard for me too, hard for all of us. This baby is going to change so much and our lives won't ever be the same. I'm not saying that I'm not looking forward to it, of course I am, I can't wait! But it's just that…"

"…you'd rather keep it simple? Right?" Karen finished the sentence for her with a knowing smile. Grace sighed with relief, thank god Karen understood. "I do too honey, I just want to be able to enjoy this with out constantly thinking 'what's going to go wrong next?', you know?"

Grace nodded, "I'm so glad you feel the same, I was worried you'd be hurt or offended. That's the last thing I want to do, you're my friend Karen."

Then, without warning, Karen pulled Grace into a hug. Although slightly surprised at first, Grace hugged her back. Finally, each knew that the other would be there, no matter what. 'It's wrong,' Karen thought 'but I don't care. As long as Will keeps his promise, no one will know. Why does it matter anyway? He won't want to be a father, neither does Stan. We've got all the family we need.' Her mind was made up, the question of the father wouldn't be raised again. Stan would go on the birth certificate and that was that. Not just to save her own dignity, but her baby's too. Anyway, she wasn't totally sure it wasn't Stan's anyway, why put a cat amongst the pigeons?

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Any good? Please review:-) 


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